4 days solo in Paris
This is not a first-time-in-Paris itinerary, but you can take bits from it if you will be going the first time! I wanted to travel slower this time around, and chose a ‘must-see’ for each day, and picked places (cafes and the like) around that. I’ll also be including restaurants I ate at with my mom and sis-in-laws when they rejoined me in Paris, as I won’t be making blog posts about the day trips we did (you can check my Youtube vlogs for that!).
So without further ado~
It was a bit surreal to be back! Paris is one of those cities that just has a pull, partially maybe it’s because I hadn’t ticked off the places I wanted to see in previous trips haha so this time around, I made sure to do so.
SOME QUICK INFO:
Date: Late March 2024
Paris Hotel 1: Hotel Maxim Opera
Paris Hotel 2: Hotel Duminy Vendome
5% KLOOK discount code for select hotels and activities: KATRINAGEMKLOOK
Day 1
MUSEE DE L’ORANGERIE
A must go for Claude Monet fans! As with most museums, it’s best to get tickets ahead. Nearby my hotel is a creperie La Crème de Paris with good coffee. One of a few places that open early (8am) as well.
My museum booking was still at 1pm, so after breakfast, I walked around a bit and ended up at the Opera area, decided to checkout a free viewpoint at the rooftop of Galerie Lafayette. Lots of tourists for sure, but the view is nice!
Day 2
PLACE D’ALIGRE
The main agenda for this day was to check out the flea market at Place d’Aligre. It was raining that day, and I couldn’t find any information if the market was still on. I took the risk (a subway ride across town xD) and was happy to see that the market was happening even while raining.
Before heading there though, I stopped by Fat Bastard at their St. Denis location as it was on the way to the flea market. They have plenty of delicious looking pastries along with coffee. And with the rain, it was a cozy mood. Got myself the pistachio chocolate roll, and a pain au chocolat. The latter was delicious but a bit too buttery for me. The chocolate pistachio roll was okay, not sure what I expected but I would skip it to try another pastry next time (yes, I’d go back!). It was also one of those instances where being too early isn’t a good thing because as I was leaving for the market at around 9am, they had just started displaying their savory sandwiches! :(
So, the market! As mentioned, it was steadily raining but there were still people browsing around. I’d guess there weren’t as much vendors due to it being a weekday and the rain, but there were still enough to browse through. I got myself some jewelry chain that I liked, and a bracelet that looked real (it was not lol). Lots of crockery, costume jewelry, decor and very very random knick knacks and everyday items.
Right along the square is the indoor market for produce/meats. It’s always nice to go around and see what the local food offerings are, things I’d never find where I’m from. I also happily stumbled across a coffee roaster and had a very delicious cup of flat white. I ended up buying a bag of beans as well, and was so sad when I ran out because it was so good! So if you’re in the area, drop by Early Bird Artisanal Coffee Roasters.
Day 3
MUSEE D’ORSAY - LEFT BANK
This museum is huge. I went through it in around 3-4 hours but it’s best to spend more time if you can to take it all in. Beware that you may get museum-ed out (is that a term?). It feels like I hit my museum quota for the year, and it was only March hahaha
Also, while you may book a ticket at say 10am, they’ll let you in an hour later. Yes, you arrive on time, and still wait in line. Idk, I don’t make the rules, and yes, it was a little annoying.
Once inside, you’ll find yourself at the main hall of the former train station with a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty and the clock. I chose to start from the top where the Impressionist works are, and work my way down. I won’t go into all the things, but definitely a must go for impressionist fans.
After 3 hours at the museum, it was time to grab lunch. There’s a few cafes around the museum but I specifically wanted duck, and chose Cocorico.
After lunch, it was time for dessert. Walked towards Chocolat Chapon for their mousse.
While in the left bank, I wanted to drop by a few places: Citipharma (said to be cheapest for beauty products), Le Bon Marche and Grand Epicerie.
Day 4
LE MARAIS to TROCADERO
For my last solo day in Paris, I was a little all over the place from Le Marais to Trocadero, so I’m just going to the list the places I went to:
Mamiche - disappointing visit for me
I.O Cafe - best coffee I had in Paris
Poilane Bakery - love their no-oatmeal granola despite being a little too sticky
Chez Alain Miam Miam - good sandwiches
Carette - to see what the hot chocolate hype was about - it was okay but PLAQ is better
Ramen Kodawari - sardine broth ramen, something different and pretty good
Trocadero for Eiffel pics at Avenue de Camoens
PLAQ Chocolat - they have a cafe location but I went to their stall at the Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet Opera (across the main department stores)
Some tips for solo travel:
- Be vigilant with people and surroundings - I was worried about pickpockets and scams around European cities in general but thankfully, I didn’t encounter those
- I used a phone strap/necklace wrapped around my wrist
- I wore my bag under my coat/jacket
- I don’t do nightlife, so no tips there, but def don’t walk through dark alleys
Thanks for reading!
